Material collecting and loading apparatus



Feb- 25, 1941? T. K. ANDERSEN Erm. 2,233,237

MATERIAL COLLECTING AND LOADING APPRTUS Filed Dec. 1.1, 1939 v INVENTORS.- ZZomasff Hrwerse/z and Tengel fzde' rsen/ ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 25,y 1941 UNITED STATES MATERIAL COLLECTING AND LOADING APPARATUS Thomas K. Andersen, West New Brighton, and

Tengel Andersen, Port Richmond,l N. Y., assignors to Overhead Loader Corporation, Staten Island, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 11, 1939, seriarNo. 308,610

9 Claims.

This invention is a continuation in part of :our prior application Serial No. 148,740, f1led .directed vto the novel` combination in which the iii-"raising and' lowering movementspf a Vpowerl driven. weight"(usually a diggingand collecting bucket) lozcatedl-.at onejend of attractor or other ,selif-propelledlvehicle.andgswinging. in an arcual overheadgvpathalong thfefor'e and aft centerline thetractorpareutilizdfto.op sitely lactuate texial-znovinggigmm" l ctor.

y, ordingftolgfm-y invention, li'effbucket func- I, biopsias anffaetuator'forthebulldozen the bulldozer beingfforced downto its work by applying the lifting power tothe bucket, and being lifted away from its work when the bucket is lowered by the overbalance of the bucket. This makes it unnecessary to provide any other power actuating mechanism for the bulldozer, with resultant simplicity of construction and saving in installation and maintenance costs, as well as insuring fast, accurate control ofthe bulldozer.

All the horsepower of the tractor is available to lower the bulldozer, thus insuring ample down pressure on the bulldozer as the bucket is lifted. Moreover, the weight of the counterbalancing lbucket and the length of its arms are so proportioned to the weight of the bulldozer and the length of'its arms that when the bulldozer is lifted, the tractor balances at approximately the center of its tracks.

The conventional tractor is designed to balance at the center of its tracks and when a conven- 35 tional bulldozer is hung on the tractor, the weight thereof is concentrated on the lfront lower track rolls causing rapid wear thereon and necessitating frequent repairs thereto.

In our construction, where the lifting of the bulldozer at the iront'of the tractor is accomplished by the overbalance of the bucket at the rear of the tractor, such overbalance so nearly equals the overhung weight of-'the bulldozer at the front that the tractor still balances at ap-v proximately its normal position at the fore and aft center of the tractor tracks. Thus the weight f of bucket and bulldozer is properly centered and divided between all of the lower track rolls; which is the way the tractor was designed to function.

Specifically our bucket-bulldozer attachment for 'tractors comprises a pair of bucket supporting arms pivoted adjacent the sides of the tractor and carrying the bucket at their outer ends and a pair of oppositely pointing bulldozer support ing arms pivoted adjacent the sides of the tractor y f June 17, 1937, now Patent No. 2,182,781, and is,

a :bulldozer) (ci. l37-144) at points separate from the pivot points of the bucket arms and carrying the bulldozer at their outer ends. In order to swing the bucket and its arms inits arc'ual overheadpath we provide a power take-off fromthe tractor motor and power-transmitting connections therefrom to thebucket armaandin order to apply the lifting (or lowering) movement of the bucket as it travels through said arcual path as lowering (orlifting) movement tothe bulldozer, we ,interpose motiontransmitting linkage between the bucket and bulldozerarms.

Wel also provide quickdetachable connections lwhichenable the bulldozer to be readily assembled to and disassembled from the tractor -with the minimum effort and in the minimum time.A

Ill v In making such change it is only necessary to insert or remove two bolts and their cotter pins.

Thus we combine, in a single machine, bucket and bulldozer attachments which enable us-both to dig and grade on the same dirt-moving job. Our bucket-bulldozer attachment for tractors of the machine from job to job, and inasmuch as we avoid expensive duplication of operating controls for the bulldozer, the tractor owner can use his tractor equally aswell forboth digging and grading without materially increasing the cost of the machine over and above the cost of the bulldozer.

In the accompanying drawing:

- requires only one investment and only one move Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tractor of conf ventional type equipped with bucket and b1111- dozer attachments in accordance with our invention, the bulldozer being shown in full lines as lpressed downwardly to the work when the bucket is raised (see full line position of bucket) and being shown in dotted lines as raised from the work when the bucket is lowered (see dotted line position of bucket).

Fig. 2 ls a perspective view of the bulldozer detached from the tractor and 'as seen from the rear.

Figi. 3 is a'r fragmentary side detail at the attaching end :of one of the bulldozer arms, and showing in dotted lines the position assumed by the retaining latchvwhen the .bolt therefor is withdrawn to permit the bulldozer to be detached from the tractor, and, l

Fig. 4 4is a fragmentary perspective view of motion-transmitting links which are .interposed between the' bucket and bulldozer arms.

l For the purposes of this application we have shown our invention as applied to a crawler tractor of conventional type, although it will be understood that the invention may be applied to other self-propelled vehicles, as wheel tractors,

` I trucks 'or the like.

tached to the track-frames of the tractor adja.

cent points' I2 located on each side of the tractor at the common center around which both the tractor tracks I3 and the tractor frame oscillate in a vertical plane independently of each other.

As a result of this construction the sub-frame will follow the movement of the tractorframe around the common center oi oscillation I2 with-' out hampe'ring the free and independent oscillation of the tractor tracks or the movement of the tractor frame upon its springs.

Pivoted at their inner ends as at I4 to the sides of the tractor is a pair of rearwardly extendingv bucket supporting arms I5 carrying at their outer ends a bucket I6 of any desired construction. The arms I5 are of such shape and length as to carry the bucket from digging or loading. position at one end of the tractor, here shown as the rear end, in anarcual overhead path along the fore and aft .center line of the tractor past the pivot points of said arms, to a forward dumping position.

Thebucket is swung from loading to dumping position, and vice versa, by any suitable mechanism operated from the tractor motor and is suitablv controlled in its travel at,all times..

Such mechanism isfspeciflcally set forth in our prior application aforesaid and inasmuch as it forms no part of the present -invention will be referred to herein only in general terms. Such mechanism includes a winch W mounted on the tractor sub-frame in advance of the motor.

. Fast to the drum of the winch is a bucket control cable C. This cable passes over suitable guide sheaves on the tractor roof and is made fast at its other end to the bucket. The winch is driven from the tractor motor by any suitable power take-olf. The application of power to the winch is controlled by a clutch lever 'L, and a suitable brake is providedfor optionally arresting the travel of the bucket at any selected point when the clutch is disengaged. If the bucket is provided with a latched cover, as is the case with buckets for certain special uses,

a suitable latch-tripping mechanism is provided Y `of these parts as a counterbalance against the tractor tipping up in front when the bucket is breaking out its load at the rear.

Detachably pivoted attheir inner ends as at I1 to the sidesof the tractor at pivot points separate from the pivot points `I4 is a pair of bulldozer supporting arms I8 carrying at 'their outer ends a'bulldozer I9 of conventional type.

The arms I9 are of lsuch shape and length as to position the bulldozer I9 beyondthe forward urnping position. The clutch lever,l

end of the tractorfor limited movement in a vertical are between the .ground and some point high enough above the ground to permit the bulldozer to clear the ground when desired.

According to our invention, motion transmitting connections are interposed between the two l sets of arms I5 and I8 for transmitting the motor power of the tractor applied through the bucket arms I5 in lifting the bucket to the bulldozer arms I8 as power to press the bulldozer. downwardly to its work. They also permit the bucket,

r which at the rear of the tractor nearly equals the overhung weight of the bulldozer at the front ofthe tractor, to raise the bulldozer from its work when the power is disconnected and the bucket ,drops by gravity but under the manual control of the operator.

These motion-transmitting connections may be of any suitable type.' In their simplest form, and as here shown, lthe bucket arms I5 are provided adjacent theirpivots I4 with short arms 20, here shown as triangular plates. Plvoted at 2l to the forward portions of the plates 20 are links 22, the forward ends of which are pivoted as at 23 to the bulldozer I9.

These links may be either rigid or telescopic.

As shown, they are vtelescopic and provided with a pin v2li to be selectively entered in anyl o fV a series vof holes .25 (see Fig. 4) for adjusting their effective length so that the'relation of the height of the bucket arms to 'that of the 'bulldozer arms may be varied at will.

cated closely behind the bucket, or near an arch where there is insuflicient head-room for the bucket. l

In order to provide for quick detachable connection of the bulldozer arms I8 with the vehicle, the pivots I1 are constructed as spoollike pins (see Fig. 2) Pivoted as at 26 to brackets 21 depending `from the side members of the tractor 4sub-frame (see Fig. 2) are appropriately shaped gravity latches 28 which are removably fastened at their upper ends'to said brackets 21 by means of Withdrawable pins 29 and c'otter pins 30 or their equivalents.

Thus, to attach the bulldozer, it is simply necessary to drive the tractor into the space between the bulldozer arms I8 until the pins I1 are in position` to enter the latches. withdraw the bolts 30 and permit the latches 28 to fall to the dotted line position of Fig. 3, lift the free ends of the arms'until the pins I1 are within the latches, swing the latches up beneath the pins. and' replace the bolts to again hook thelatches. l v

To 'disconnect the bulldozer, the latches are unhooked to' release the pins I1, after which the tractor is backed away from the bulldozer.

By pivoting the bucket and bulldozer carrying arms at separate points, we can change the leverage between said arms whenever required and thus change thespeed of lift of the bucket. Best results are obtained when the separate pivots are located in different vertical and horizontal planes, but this vis not absolutely essential.

Although we havel shown and described the tractor attachments as a bucket and a bulldozer, respectively, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of these specific attachments. For example,l a simple counterweight may be employed in lieu of a bucket or.

` This is important when' the tractor is at'work near a bank which is lo" the bucket may be a shovel, scoop, fork or the weight-supporting arms to the which it is to work. Likewise the bulldozer may be any bladed implement, as an angledozer. scraper, snowplow blade or the like depending on the nature ofthe work and the particularV material in which it is to Work.

' What we therefore `claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Incombinatlon with a self-propelling tractive vehicle, a pair of weight-supporting arms pivoted adjacent the sides of said vehicle, a weight mounted at the outer ends of said arms, means for lifting, lowering, and stopping the movement of the weight-supporting arms, a pair of oppositely pointing secondary arms pivotally connected adjacent the sides of the vehicle at points separate from the pivot points of the weightsnpporting arms, a material moving implement attached to the outer ends of said secondary arms, and motion transmitting connections interposed between and pivotally connected to the two sets of arms for depressing the material moving implement when the weight is lifted and for raising said implement when said weight is lowered. A

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the -weight-supporting arms include short arms extending therefrom near the pivots thereof, and the motion transmitting connections comprise links pivotally attached at their rear ends to said short arms and at their forward e'nds to said material moving implement.

3. The combination of claim l, the motion transmitting connections being adjustable in length so that the relation. of the height of the height ofthe implement-supporting arms may be varied.. Y

4. The combination of claim 1, the inner ends of one pair of arms overlapping the inner ends of the other pair of arms.

5. The combination of claim' 1, the pivots for one pair of arms being located in a dlilerent vertical plane from those of the other pair of arms.

6. The combination of claim 1, the pivots for one pair of arms being located in a different horizontal plane from those of the other pair of arms.

7. In combination with a self-propelling tractive vehicle, a counterweight and a materialmoving implement pivotally connected to the sides of said vehicle at points separatel from each other and occupying operating positions at the respective ends of the vehicle, means for swinging the counterweight in an arcual overhead path relative to the vehicle, and motion-transmitting connections between said counterweight and implementv for depressing the implement when the counterweight is lifted and for raising the implement when the counterweight is lowered. y

8. The combination of claim 7, the vehicle being a tractor, and the overbalance of the counterweight at one end of the tractor substantially ally connected at oneend to a weight-supporting armand' at its other end to a corresponding implement supporting arm at pointsspaced from" the pivot points vehicle. Y

of said armsI tothe sides of the THOMAS K. ANDERs'EN.

maar. ANDERSEN.

- equalling the overhung weight of the material- 

